EDUKANS for adequate budgetary allocation in education sector

Lilongwe: Government has been urged to provide adequate budgetary allocation to the education sector in order to improve the quality of education in Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs) in the country.

Country Representative for EDUKANS in Malawi, Limbani Nsapato said this Tuesday during an interview in Lilongwe on the sidelines of the Star School Model Project Youth Advisory Board Members meeting.

He said time has come for government and policy makers to be engaged fully to consider providing more budgetary resources to address the challenges being faces by CDSSs in the country.

Nsapato noted that the provision of the increased budgetary allocation to the education sector could help address some of the shortfalls CDSSs are facing and this could help improve the quality of education in the schools

He pointed out that the learning environment in most CDSSs leaves much to be desired hence the need to carefully look at the issues in order to improve the quality of education and standards.

CDSSs are facing a lot of challenges ranging from inadequate and unqualified teachers, lack of teaching and learning materials, insufficient classroom blocks, toilets and long distance to access school facilities. We need more resources in order to overcome such challenges if the education sector is to progress. Nsapato explained.

He pointed out that EDUKANS through Education Expertise Development Foundation (EEDF) is implementing a three year project with funding from Master Card foundation in order to compliment government efforts to addressing some of the challenges being faced in CDSS in the country.

The improvement of quality education in CDSS is very crucial since most of them are not being supported adequate and this compromised the quality of the education in these schools, the Country Representative noted.

Nsapato said the Star School Project is being implemented in Chikwawa, Mangochi, Lilongwe and Mzimba with 16 CDSS being targeted.

The project implementation started in November 2017 and it has trained teachers and head teachers in CDSS and now the project is mentoring students to be part of the implementation process of the project as members of Youth Advisory Board, Nsapato stated.

He said members of board would be part of the decision making processes of the project and would act as representatives in their various schools.

EEDF Programme Officer, Moffat Njati said the mentorship of board members aims at empowering them to making rightful decision on what they are expecting to have in their schools.

He said there are a lot of challenges CDSSs are facing and the project is tailor made to ensure that student’s involvement in its implementation should be key and essential.

A student from Mbawa CDSS in Mzimba, Mekilesi Chuma said viewed that the training would help them appreciate their role on how to improve education quality in their schools.

She said this is right platforms for youth participation in the education sector since they are sharing experience and ideas on how to overcome some of the challenges they face.

There are 32 students drawn from 16 CDSSs from the four implementing districts.

Master Card Foundation has provided US$ 1 million funding for the project for the next three years.